Slug casting machine



Aug. 7, 1934. G. RAPPRICH SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M By 1* A TTO NEYJ Aug. 7, 1934. G. RAPPRICH SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed May 12 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 7i INVE NT OR BY 7 E a T1 TT RNE Y5 Patented Aug. 7, 1934 I [UNITED STAT 1,969,663 7 SLUG CASTING MACHINE.

Gustave Rapprich, West New York, N. J assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application May 12, 1932, Serial 'No. 610,756,

18 Claims. (01. 199-50) This invention relates to slug casting machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented in United States Letters Patent No.. 436,532, to O. Mergenthaler, wherein cir- 5 culatingmatrices and expansible spacebands are released from their respective storage magazines and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to a vertically movable transporter or so-called .first elevator which presents it to the face of a slotted mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the composed line, and the matrices and spacebands thereafter returned through transfer and distributing mechanisms to the magazines from which they started.

In these machines, the first elevator, in presenting the composed line to the mold, descends to its'casting position by gravity and delivers the line between a pair of clamping members or vise jawswhich engage theopposite ends of the line to limit its endwise movement as the expansible spacebands are forced upwardly in effecting justification of the line. These vise jaws are adjustable toward and away from each other to vary the space between themto accord with the length of the slot of the mold which is in'use at the time.

It sometimes happens that the operator will compose an unjustified line of such length that it will not pass readily between the vise jaws,-and in such case the end matrix or matrices is or are liable to be displaced or lifted in the first elevator by frictional engagement with the jaws, even though, the line actually enters the jaws, and as a result (since the operation of the machine continues) the displaced matrices are severely damaged when the mold is moved forwardly for the slug casting operation, and besides a serious metal squirt may occur..

The present invention overcomes these and other difficulties, by preventing the casting operation whenever an overset ortight line is presented to the vise jaws. To this end, specifically, vthe right-hand vise jaw is provided with a line engaging portion which is adapted to be moved downwardly and inwardly by the end matrix of an overset or tight line, whereby the space between the jaws is contracted or lessened, and the first elevator thereby arrested in its downward movement. Failure of the elevator to make a complete descent brings into play the well known fvise automatic which stops the. machine before 'the casting operation takes place or before any ,damage can occur.,

-: -;In .the "accompanying drawings, the; invention .has beenshown merely byway of example and end matrix of a tight line;

in preferred form, but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment, 6 except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Fig; 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a linotype machine embodying the present improvements, and. showing certain parts of the linedelivery and line clamping devices;

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation, showing the movable section of the right-hand .vise jaw moved downwardly and inwardlyby the delivery of an overset'line; Fig. 3 a similar view, partly broken away to reveal the interior construction, showing. the movable section of the vise jaw in itsupper or nor- 7,

mal position;

Fig. 4*.is a' view like Fig. 2, but showing'the movable section of the vise jaw as moved downwardlythrough frictional engagement with the i I Fig. 5 is a top sectional View of the-vise jaw taken on the line 55 of Fig.4; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the line engaging portion of the. vise jaw.

In the normal operation of the machine, .a' line of matrices X and spacebands Y is composedin an assembling elevator (not shown), by means of which it. is lifted between the depending fingers a and a of the line delivery slide A, and transferred thereby through the intermediate 50 channel B to the vertically movable transporter or first elevator C. The transporter thereupon descends to present the composed line to the face of a slotted mold (not shown), and between the opposed clamping members or vise jaws D and 'E,'which hold the line against endwise movement during the justifying and casting operations.

toward and away from the right-hand jaw E to permit the jaws to be spaced apart a distance corresponding to the length of the mold slot in twhichthe slug is to be cast. At the time of justification, the adjustable left-hand jawgp is located and sustained againstv endwise movement in;the position in which it is set, and it is :sub-

I is

sequently retracted sufficiently to relieve the composed line of pressure before the transporter rises after the casting operation. Such movements of the jawD are controlled in the usual Way by the vertical reciprocating wedge F through the auxiliary grooved rod F and the cooperating bankingblock F The right-hand jaw E is relatively' fixed and, adapted to stand in' line with the contiguous end wall of the mold slot when the matrix line is expanded between thejaws.

So far as described, the construction of the parts and their mode of operation, enceptas here} inafter pointed'out, are or may beth'e same as those embodied in the commercial linotype ma; chines, and will be readily junder stood'by those skilled in the art.

In carrying out the presentinvention, the right hand vise jaw E is divided vertically into twosections e and c The section e is securedto the vise frame in the usual manner, being relatively stationary, while the section e isslidably attached to the section 6 by a T-head and slot connection, best illustrated in Fig. 5. As there shown, the sectime is formed withfa T-head e adapted'slidably to fitwithin a correspondingly shaped recesse fashioned in thesection c It .will be observed that the section e comprisesa main body section :2 and a plate e set back in the body portion and havingits outer faceflush with the front wall of the';vise.jaw.E, a portion of the plate e being fashioned toform one wall of the recess e into which'the T-head e is snugly but slidably fitted. The plate e is securely fastened to the body portion e inany desired mannen'as by rivets R. It will be noted that the side of the sections: .on which the T-head is formed presents three guiding or bearing surfaces, namely, thetop m of the T-head and the side shoulders n and 0," against a which corresponding surfaces of the reces's'e are adapted to engage. Although this type of connection permits the section 6 to move freely, it also prevents the section from rocking sidewise during its movement. Further tofacilitate its operation, the section e is cored out as at e and e'kwhereby it is lightened and balanced tolessen its frictional engagement with the surfaces of the section 6 against which itbear's. V

1 .Asalready. stated, the section e of the vise j'aw E is adapted to be moved downwardly and inwardly,and to this end the contiguous surfaces of the sections c and e are formed obliquely, the guidingsurfaces m, n ando inclining. from top to bottom toward the opposite vise jaw D. .Thus, as

' the section 6 is moved downwardly by'pressure acting upon it from directly above, it is cammed in the direction of the visejaw D by the guiding surfaces just referred to.. l

. Thedownward movement of the section -e -is against theipressure of a compression spring 3, one Jend or which is seated in the section e, as at s theother end being seated in the movable section e at at The spring s tends normally to hold the movablesection e in 'its raised position against a'pla'te e which latter is secured to the section eby screws e 'and is adapted to overlie the connection between the two's'e'ctions to limit the upward movement of the section 6 and to'lfee'p diift'andfforeignf matterfrom entering and colleanin between the sections, where its accumulation would sob'nimp ir. theeasy'niovement of the section e piste; e is detachably arranged m order to man ate the attachment and removalof "the "section e to andfrom its cooperating" section 6. 1A'"'spi 'ing detent k is'arrang'edinth 'u per part of the movable" section e so'asto project through the line engaging face thereof for a purpose to be described later.

In the operation of the machine, when a line or proper length is delivered by the first elevator C to the vise clamping jaws D and E, it will enter between the jaws without disturbance and the transporter upon reaching its casting position will depress 'thefyise automatic. and permit the cycle of operation of the machine to continue. However, when a line is overset or its lengthis greater than the space between the vise jaws D and E, as shown inFig. l, the end matrix or matrices of the composed line will engage the shoulder c of the movable section e" and exert a downward pressure therefon causing it to move downwardly against the pressure of the compression spring s. Due to the fact that the guiding surfaces 111., n, o of the section e are inclined, the section e is camrned inwardly during its downward movement toward the opposite vise jaw D, thereby contracting or lessening the distance between the two jaws D and E,so that whenthe sectionc reaches the limit of itsdownward movement it is inrpossible for the composed line to be lowered between the jaws. Hencethe first elevator C is brought to rest before it reaches. its casting po sition and thereforeisprevented from actuating the vise automatic to permit the. operation of the machine to continue. The machine -is thus stopped automatically and no damage allowed to F 35 occur. 1

In the event of a tight line, that is to say, a line which 'mi'ght ordinarily fit between the jaws D and E but which nevertheless would fit too tightly to permit proper justification 'andalin'e- 1in mentof the matrices, the endmatrix engages the projecting end of the spring detent k'asshown in 3 and'4, and the added'frictional-engagement thus afforded'sufilces to-force the section e downwardlyand inwardly as in the'case'of an i 15 overset'line. I I

It may be added for'the sakeof clearness,'that under the clamping pressure of the vise jaws during justification of a line of proper length the spring detentk is-adapted to recede within the cavity k in which it is located. Thus the vise jaw 'E presents an even line engagingface and affords no opportunity for endwise tilting or malalinement of the line of matrices and 'sp'acebands.

*Having thus described my :invention, what I claim is:

1. In a slug casting machine, the combination of apair ofline clamping members, meansfor delivering 'a' composed line to the clamping mem- -bers, and means actuated by the delivery auditferent casting levelsofran overset or tight 'line to the clamping members for lessening the space between them so as thereby to 'prevent -their reception of the line.

2. In afslug "casting machine,'the 'cdmbination clamping members,- aiid'means'ac'tuated by thedelivery 7 at different 'casting'flev'els of '-'a line of 'g'reater than the 'predeterinined lngth tothe clamping members to contract the space 'between them and thereby "prevent their i'eception 01' the 1ine ' 3; Inafsliig casting machine; "the combination "of apaii" of line clamping jaws; a-ti'ansporter for delivering a composed line to the-e1ampmg" jaws, 1 andm'eans adapted to be actuatedby'thedelivery at" different casting" levels of o'v'erset on tight line to the clamping jaws to lessen the space between them.

4. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of line clamping jaws, and a vertically movable transporter for delivering a composed line to the clamping jaws, one of said jaws being movable relatively to the other by an overset or tight line to lessen the space between them.

5. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of line clamping jaws, and a vertically movable transporter for delivering a composed line to the clamping jaws, one of said jaws being divided into sections, one of which is arranged to be moved inwardly when engaged by an overset or tight line as the latter is being delivered to the jaws, whereby the space between the jaws is lessened and their reception of the line prevented.

6. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of line clamping jaws, and a vertically movable transporter for delivering a composed line to the clamping jaws, one of said jaws being divided along an inclined plane into two sections, one of which is movable relatively to the other, and the movable section being adapted to be cammed inwardly when engaged by an overset or tight line so as thereby to decrease the space between the clamping jaws and prevent the delivery of the line into casting position between the jaws.

'7. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of line clamping jaws, and a vertically movable transporter adapted to deliver a composed line to said jaws, one of said jaws being divided obliquely into two sections and having its line engaging section movable, whereby the latter section when engaged by an overset or tight line as the line is presented between the jaws is moved downwardly and inwardly, thereby shortening the distance between the jaws and preventing the delivery of the line into casting position between the jaws.

8. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of line clamping jaws, and a vertically movable transporter for delivering a composed line to the jaws, one of said jaws being divided vertically into a stationary section and a movable section, the movable section being adapted when engaged by an overset or tight line to be cammed downwardly and inwardly as the line is presented to the jaws, whereby the space between the jaws is lessened and the delivery of the line into casting position between them is prevented.

9. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a pair of line clamping jaws, a movable transporter for delivering a composed line to said. jaws,

one of said jaws being movable relatively to the other by the frictional engagement of a tight line therewith so as to reduce the space between the two jaws, and means for increasing the frictional engagement of the line with the clamping jaw.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 9, wherein the means for increasing the frictional engagement of the line with the clamping jaw comprises a spring detent arranged in the movable clamping jaw so as to engage the composed line as the latter is being brought into a position between the jaws.

11. A combination as in claim 1, wherein the operation of the machine is automatically stopped by the lessening of the space between the line clamping members, as by the arrest of the line transporter.

12. A combination as in claim 4, wherein the jaw or jaw section moved by an overset or tight line is the right-hand jaw.

13. In or for a slug casting machine, a line clamping jaw formed in two sections slidably secured together so that one section is free to move vertically, a compression spring arranged between the two sections and adapted to resist the downward movement of the movable section, and means to limit the upward movement of said section.

14. In a slug casting machine, a line clamping jaw as described in claim 13, wherein the jaw is divided along an inclined plane so that during its downward movement a camming action will be imparted to the movable section by the contiguous guiding surface of the other section.

15. In a slug casting machine, a line clamping jaw as described in claim 13, wherein the two sections are secured together by a T-head and slot connection.

16. In a slug casting machine, a line clamp ing jaw as described in claim 13, wherein the means to limit the upward movement of the movable section comprises a' detachable plate removable to permit the application and removal of the movable section to and from the other section.

17., In a slug casting machine, a line clamping jaw as described in claim 13, characterized by the fact that the movable section of the jaw is cored out to reduce and distribute its weight to produce a light balanced structure.

18. In a slug casting machine, a line clamping jaw as described in claim 13, characterized by the fact that it is the right-hand jaw of the machine.

GUSTAVE RAPPRICH. 

